President Michel Aoun received on Monday Australia's Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lady Lynn Cosgrove at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.

Upon his arrival at the Palace, Aoun and Cosgrove held a private meeting after which they held a joint press conference.

“We requested Australia's support in defending our legitimate rights in international forums and stressed the need to implement UN resolutions mainly UN decision 1701,” said Aoun at a press conference after the closed-door meeting with the Australian envoy.

He added: “We have focused on the necessity of reaching political solutions to the Syrian crisis and the need to expedite a solution to the crisis of the displaced in a way that contributes to their return to safe areas,” in Syria.

“We have agreed on the need to activate bilateral relations at various levels and to develop mechanisms of cooperation,” added Aoun.

For his part, Cosgrove told reporters: “We discussed the relationship between Lebanon and Australia, which is based on social ties and the important role played by Lebanese immigrants in the development of Australia.”

The Australian envoy and his wife had arrived in Lebanon on Sunday on a three-day visit.

Cosgrove is set to hold talks with senior Lebanese officials, reports said.